How to train your Zoid
by GlitterSharkEats
Summary: Backstory of one good sir Adamaris Armani. Includes much adventuring and Zoidy shenanigans, as well as a decent plot and even battles! Yay.
1. Start of Something Great

Omg, omg, another story. This beast is just gonna be a short of how Adamaris got where is. friends with Dragon, blah blah blah. Plus, for my CW class we really focus on characters and since Dragon has like, 14 years of history, I figure Atlas needs the same. So, here we are. Hooray.

ALSO. This fi is Rated M! For language and slight adult themes. Because really, Adamaris and friends are early 20s and I'm sick of Zoids being so kiddy. No, these characters are gonna act they're age. Nothing really bad, but Atlas is a bit of a bisexual slut or something. I don't even know. He's so awkward. Anyway, Zoidy violence too. Like, graphic stuff, maybe. Yeah. Nothing that's gonna be really bad but be warned, I guess.

Oh and swearing, that too. Fuck :D This is a bit over 12 pages in Word, def one of my longer chapters and I'm really proud of it. Banged out the last 6 pages in like, 3 hours. High five.

Enjoy and stuff~

---

Its not that Adamaris doesn't _like_ Zoids, its just that he doesn't want anything to _do_ with Zoids.

"This here, son, is just for you. All yours. I know you'll take good care of him." Mastiff, Adamaris' father, said in truly near-tear heartbreaking, sob-story fashion. Adamaris let himself be pulled into an awkward hug, his face vanishing in the massive, beefy chest of his heroic father. At 5'9, Adamaris couldn't be described as super short, but his 6'4 father towered over him like a skyscraper.

Adamaris pulled his face away, looking up as his father with an unhappy set of eyes. "T-thanks, dad. Thanks a lot. Really, I don't know want to say, because this is, its just…." The words slipped from his tongue, useless and limp like cold pasta, as Mastiff clapped a meaty hand against his son's back. The impact nearly caused Adamaris to swallow those slippery words. Almost. Mastiff chuckled, his steely eyes bright with merriment and joy and so much _pride._ Adamaris tilted his gaze down to the shiny silver floor of the Hanger below his feet. The whole place stunk of metal and oil, a sharp, stinging scent.

Leonardo, Adamaris' older brother of two years, watched on with a slightly sadistic smirk from his place on the talon of his Godkaiser. Despite being his brother, Adamaris really didn't enjoy Leonardo's company. Simply put, he acted like a dickhead and smelled like nine different colognes at one time. The Godkaiser, Brutus, lived up to its name, possessing all the personality and intelligence of a broken toilet.

"You see, Adamaris, you're 21 years old. You won't get any smarter or stronger by living here with your mom and I," Mastiff continued, his hand plastered on Adamaris' shoulder. The weight under that sentence, combined with Mastiff's muscled limb, caused Adamaris to stagger and nearly buckle. His knees felt weak, but so did his entire body, because really, Adamaris loved his Camaro and he _really_ didn't want a Zoid. So he opened his mouth to argue, to argue, _anything_ at this point. But Mastiff beat him to it. "So its time you became a Zoid pilot and went out in the world and earned yourself a living. You're gettin' too old to rely on mom and I."

Over in the corner, Leonardo barked out a harsh, raspy laugh that Brutus echoed. Obviously, those two shared the same half a brain.

"Leon still lives here and he's 23." Adamaris pointed out, loud enough that his idiot brother shut the Hell up. Mastiff shrugged.

"Eh. You, Adamaris, are smarter then Leon. You got the brains, but eh, he's got my strength." Mastiff waved his hand carelessly, steering poor Adamaris over to a huge shape taking up a great deal of space in the Hanger. While Adamaris didn't much enjoy piloting, his father and brother like, _lived_ for the sport. But some of the Zoids had been moved out in order to make space for this bound-to-be-gigantic monster.

Mastiff turned to look down at Adamaris, and despite his manly manness, tears were welling up in his eyes again. Adamaris didn't think this could _get_ anymore awkward. He shuffled a bit, silence surrounding the two of them like a very awkward pillow fort. Until Leonardo sneezed loudly and totally ruined the father/son moment. Bastard.

Mastiff cleared his throat. "Right. Adamaris Armani, meet the Genosaurer Maxis!" And with the most dramatic flourish that ever existed, he yanked the entire sheet off with one massive, powerful stroke. The covering fell apart easy enough, leaving Adamaris to gasp in horror/panic/amazement/shock at the black beast that stood before him like the very End of The World.

For one, it stood taller then even the Godkaiser. The panels of armor shone glossy ebony, pristinely polished to an amazing shine. The whole beast stood saurian in shape, complete with sharp looking teeth and hooked nails. A single blade longer then the setting sun's protruding rays nested right in between the monster's eyes. Two ion boosters rose from the slender back, almost like narrow wings. Adamaris stood there in awe, his bottom jaw hanging slightly, eyes stretched wide as his brain failed to compute the sheer monstrosity of this…..this _thing._ His _Zoid._

Mastiff let out a loving sigh. "Well go on, son. Take a gander, walk around. I promise, he won't bite ya." He chuckled and stepped back, arms folded over his chest as he nodded to Adamaris, the universal sign to go forward. And hopefully not get ripped limb from limb. Adamaris never had any good luck with Zoids, so…..

Ignoring Leonardo's jeers in the background ("Be careful, Princess! Try not to break a nail."), Adamaris walked up to one great and mighty talon, meekly noting that it stood far taller then he did. Plus, it looked very sharp. Sharp enough to separate his top from his bottom, no doubt. One hand stretched forward, the tips shivering, to rest lightly on the cold gray metal. It felt like water. Icy and sleek, but endlessly powerful.

"Ya know what he kinda looks like? Those smelly animals from Earth, the ones with the stripes. I mean look, this Maxis' got that same stripe." Mastiff mused out loud, pointing upward with a meaty finger. Adamaris stepped back a few paces and craned his neck, spotting the lone white stripe that ran the length of the Zoid's black back. It stood out heavily, a gleaming angel trapped in the body of a demon. Adamaris looked over at the dead black optic. Even from here, he saw his reflection in the empty glass.

Adamaris really didn't want to stay here, standing awkwardly close to this behemoth monster. So when his father called him and Leonardo that they were going back to the house, Adamaris followed suit, much too happy to oblige.

---

At 11:11 pm, Adamaris made a wish from where he lay in his bed. Above the covers, of course, because if he got too comfortable he would fall asleep. And that couldn't happen, not tonight of all nights. A knot swelled in the pit of his belly, a painful combination of fear, nerves, and too many pieces of garlic bread. Adamaris stared up at his ceiling; hand splayed on his stomach, and glanced back at the clock. 11:12.

12:00 finally came. Adamaris exhaled deeply, adrenaline already pounding up his spine and sending a chill through his body. Sure, he still had to sneak out of the house at age 21 like some deviant. But his parents, so worried about his safety, didn't like him wandering the streets of New Helic City. Soundless, quiet as the air itself, he slipped out of bed and stepped into his boots, having already been fully dressed. He stopped at the mirror, watching his opposite self stare back at him.

_Hair is getting long._ He thought, running fingers through the black strands. He really wanted a highlight, something in blue or green but Leonardo said that would be so gay and thus it slipped his mind. After the short self-check, Adamaris slipped out of his room and padded down the hall, patting his pockets ad feeling his phone, wallet, and car keys. His sneakers rested by the door. Tugged them on, and wisped outside with all the silence of smoke, to the Hanger. Inside that Hanger, Adamaris stood for a moment and looked at the Genosaurer Maxis, dead and quiet, those inky optics fixed on him but seeing nothing. Brutus snoozed away in a corner, rumbling softly. Adamaris kept his gaze fixed on the Maxis and imagined the devastation a Zoid like that could bring.

Finally walking past the ebony armored beast, Adamaris stopped at a shape just as black and just as sleek, not a Zoid but a car. A car imported from Earth. The fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro. Adamaris smiled and let his fingers grace the car's cool metal touch, because he seriously _loved_ this car, loved it with a fierce passion that made all others obsolete. The scent of leather, the roar of the engine and the bright flash of the headlights filled Adamaris with a sense of tranquility.

The Camaro started with a snarl, the sound echoing through the Hanger and causing Adamaris to swear softly and pray his family wouldn't freak out and come rushing out to investigate. A few tense seconds passed. Nothing. Adamaris sighed in relief, tapped the gas, and let the car gently roll out of the open Hanger door. He watched the Maxis in the rearview mirror, a sleeping giant with black eyes. "Don't wait up." He muttered.

---

At first, going to clubs killed some downtime. Trying to sneak into usually dank, smelly buildings with far too many lights started off as the greatest adventure ever possible. But now, at the actual legal age of 21, that thrill ended, crumbled away like dust. No more ninja-esque creeping or flirting with bisexual bouncers. No more memorizing fake IDs or sordid attempts to act like a legit 21-year-old. No more pretending that, oh hi my name is Joaquin and I go to the University about six blocks away. No more of that. Ever.

"Helloooooo, birthday boy! Well, belated B-Day boy. Whatever. How you doing, handsome?" Jenna gushed, sliding into the Camaro's passenger seat. "Oh wait, don't answer. Look, I got you something special for the big 21!" Jenna leaned over and planted a wet kiss right smack on Adamaris' cheek. He quickly forgot her gift came a grand total of six days too late.

"Was that it?" He chuckled, rubbing at the mark with the back of his hand so he wouldn't smell like Strawberry-and-cream lip-gloss for the whole night. Jenna scoffed, rolling her wide emerald eyes before reaching into a huge and expensive bag placed on her lap.

"No, you stupid fuck. I got you this! Sorry I didn't wrap it but….less for a landfill, right?" Jenna smiled big at him and placed a cute, ribbon-covered pink bag on his lap. "Open it, please?" She begged. Adamaris opened his mouth to say, of course he would open it now but really, you didn't have to get me anything and….

Jenna poked her head out of the Camaro's window and screamed: "Troy, Colby, let's go! Holding us up!" Adamaris stared at her for a moment, his mouth quirked up in a tiny grin before diving into his present because…..okay, so he really loved getting gifts but who didn't? After rifling through four trees worth of colorful tissue paper, Adamaris unearthed about eight packs of gum and several brand-new air fresheners. Talk about disappointment, but he didn't so much voice it as much as he gave Jenna a funny look.

"You got me gum?" He asked, holding up one pack of so super-sweet fruit combination. The smell emitting from behind the wrapper and packaging floated through the entire car. Jenna turned to him and nodded dumbly.

"Yeah! So the cops won't smell the booze as much when you get pulled over. Oh, where's the watch? I got you a watch, isn't it…..oh, here it is," Jenna fished around in her huge bag for a moment before pulling out a black box and handing it off. "This thing cost me an arm and a leg. Not to mention the respect of my parents so if you lose it I swear to Eve I _will_ slice off your dick, Aries." She threatened, calling him by that perfect little pet name. Jenna didn't kid and Adamaris quickly nodded.

While Troy and Colby bumbled into the Camaro, a mess of flailing limbs and rowdy "Happy Birthday!"s, Adamaris cracked open the velvet black lid and met the most gorgeous, jaw-dropping shade of silver he had ever seen, all shiny and flawless. The watch softly ticked, big hand moving in steady rhythm to the background of two moons and a galaxy of stars. Adamaris stared in wonder, completely transfixed by this beautiful little object, completely oblivious to the gleeful stares of his friends.

"You like it?" Jenna piped after a solid minute of silence. Adamaris jumped from his stupor, looking back at her with love and lost joy in his eyes.

"I love it. Really, this….this is the best gift I've ever gotten. Thank you so much." He babbled, stumbling over the words. Jenna smiled.

"Ooo, you two can't top that!" She laughed into the backseat, only to receive friendly jeers from Colby and Troy. The two piled their gifts over the front seat until they cascaded over Adamaris, lots of tissue paper and confetti and even a rain of multi-colored glitter.

"Love it, guys. But we need to go or we'll be late." He laughed, tucking the watch safely under his seat.

---

The Camaro roared along and parked in the crowded parking lot of Sunsets. Not exactly Adamaris' favorite club, but the girls and even the boys were cute and the drinks were sorta cheap. Adamaris pressed the wrinkles from his jeans and let the cool air waft around his body. Jenna took his hand, her fingers made to fit between his, and together they walked to the entrance with the other two trailing behind.

"Lovebirds!" Colby giggled, despite her arms being contorted around Troy's. "But no, seriously, you two are so cute. Aw." She cooed, dark brown hair falling in the way of equally dark eyes, a curtain blocking windows. Troy rolled his eyes, blonde hair spiked to high Heaven.

After flashing their cards at the door (very satisfying, because now Adamaris could show that burly meathead he could legally be here! Ha!) Jenna broke away and instantly hit the bar. Adamaris glanced around, relishing the heavy air and the solid stink of bodies sweating and dancing. Already he felt disgusting but the bone-breaking beat of the music filled him up and left him gasping for more. Adamaris wiggled through the crowd, moving into the heart of the dancing. He caught a speck of Colby through the grinding bodies and she winked and smiled at him before throwing herself up against Troy, already so deep in the mood.

Something tugged on his jacket. Adamaris half-turned, grinned broadly when Jenna came up to him and offered a sip of some alcohol he couldn't name. Adamaris felt drunk off the air. But he took a sip anyway, letting the taste burn his mouth and set his belly on fire. He bent his head low until his forehead touched her's and he could smell the apple rich scent of her dirty blonde hair.

"So, that watch. How much, exactly?" He purred in her ear, getting a little frustrated when she merely giggled and slapped his chest.

"I'm not telling. It ruins the gift." She fixed him with a vixen look before striding off. Adamaris groaned in failure, which must have been taken as sexual angst or something because another girl, a pretty one, came out of nowhere and promptly invaded his personal space.

And well, Adamaris didn't really mind.

---

Two hours flew by like ten seconds. Tired and sweaty, with his tongue dried up and fuzzy thanks to booze and kissing, Adamaris lounged on some random beanbag, wondering why the fuck these things were just _here._ Like, in a club. He ran a hand over the material. Weird.

A sudden weight dropped onto his waist, causing a grunt to bubble up from the pit of his stomach. Jenna fluttered her eyelashes at him seductively. Adamaris beamed back drunkenly, funny since he didn't remember drinking a lot. A sip here and there. Nothing major. "So, having fun, B-Day boy?" Jenna giggled, running fingers through his hair, her acrylic nails digging into his scalp oh-so-right. Adamaris damn near purred, slouching lower in the beanbag chair and letting all this _noise_ surround him like water.

_You._

Adamaris gasped, jerked upright, causing Jenna to yelp and nearly fall off. "Aries, what the Hell?" She snapped, glaring at him with an intense dislike. Adamaris blinked, mouth hanging open a bit in plain shock, like _holy shit did I just hear that?_

"D-Did you hear that?" He called over the thumping bass, the lyrics of some song he didn't understand. Jenna continued to glare at him, but her look gradually shifted to puzzlement.

"What? There's a lot of things to hear." She answered, softly enough that he barely heard her. Adamaris floundered around, useless, finally managing to land on all fours and slowly pull himself to his feet. Jenna stood next to him, concern lacing her features that he could hardly see because everything started spinning and the noise blared and his head throbbed.

That word, did he imagine it?

_Your car._

"My c-car?" Adamaris stammered, the words thick and sluggish like syrup. He stumbled forward, toward the door, at least he thought so, and only managed to plow idiotically into some guy who stood much taller then him. A drink splattered. Lights flashed haphazardly. "Sorry, my fault." Adamaris murmured, pushing past the guy and apparently stepping on his toes, guessing by the curses that were thrown at his back.

Jenna hurried after him, grabbed his arm. "Adamaris, what the serious fuck? Are you okay? No, I'm going to go get Troy and Colby because you are _so_ fucked up." She talked too fast, Adamaris realized, as he pulled away from her, letting her shouts fall on deaf ears. Getting to the door included more pushing and shoving, but when Adamaris finally made it through to the outside, he blissfully took it all in before….forgetting why he came out here.

_Your __**car.**_

Right. Adamaris trotted down toward where he _thought_ he parked, wondering why this deep and gravelly voice in his head thought it so urgent to get to his car. Adamaris made all of four steps when a hand landed rough on his shoulder, nearly knocking him down. Glowering, he spun around to confront Troy or whoever, and a fist promptly smashed into his face with all the strength of a wrecking ball.

"_Ufff," _Adamaris grunted, the blow hitting him solid enough to topple his entire body. The parking lot pavement bite into his back, starving teeth that needled him even through a shirt and jacket. He blinked, eyes watering, warm liquid leaving a path down the side of his face. "Uh, can I help you?" He grumbled thickly, struggling to get up but failing too. His head hurt. "I need to get to my car."

The same meaty hand that punched him came down and grabbed the front of his shirt and damn, this guy seriously worked out, Adamaris thought blindly as he felt himself getting hauled to his feet like some ragdoll. The douchebag in front of him sorta resembled the guy from before, the one who Adamaris knocked into and caused his drink to spill. The guy who maybe, maybe not had his toes stepped on by a departing Adamaris.

Adamaris opened his mouth in question but the guy pulled his arm back, way back, hand curled up into a fist so Adamaris saw two rings on his fingers and holy shirt those were gonna-

The second blow landed right on his eye and finally, his slow and stupid body caught up with _pain._ Adamaris let out a very un-manly squeal and staggered back, clutching his right eye blind. The douche advanced on him, and Adamaris stepped back, since of course the fucking jerk had two cronies, ignorant jock meatheads with tight shirts and baggy jeans. Adamaris thought of his car.

"Fucktard, you ruined my shirt, got my girl wet, and scuffed my new fucking shoes. I've seen you around here, you fucking prick." The tool yelled, his voice bulging thickly, like his muscles. Adamaris' fingers gently pressed on his eye and it _burned_, a searing pain worse then when he accidentally let his hand fall on the hot stove a few years ago.

"Listen man I'm sorry, but I really gotta go and-" Adamaris stuttered, the blood gushing from his nose and running a coppery taste in his mouth. The sentence remained unfinished as the joke of a guy stepped a huge stride forward, fist poised high and ready to come down with all the force of Ever herself, ramming cold ring-tipped knuckles deep into Adamaris' stomach, so hard he swore he felt the icy metal reach all the way to his spine and before he knew it he puked, vomited all over himself and the guy's new shoes.

Adamaris heard yelling, heard Jenna screaming for help. People rushing and running, but he felt the cold pavement and suddenly, he wanted sleep. His belly ached and his eye didn't work, smelled like rancid food and booze and the thumping came again, louder this time, so loud, behind him, behind, coming up, above him, right-

_Leave him alone._

The loudest, most tremendous, planet-shaking bellow of a saurian roar assaulted the space right above Adamaris' head. As if the Gods themselves were unleashing their fury. The ground literally _shook_. Adamaris saw, with his good eye, a great gray nail looming above him. The shape blotted out the moons, the stars, this imposing black hole, loud and louder still. The tool looked at the Zoid and his eyes went wider then a hungry mouth, and Adamaris swore the guy pissed his pants, and his jerk friends do the same. Adamaris smiled, dazed, as the fuck screamed like a total chick before rushing off.

"Aries! Adamaris, are you okay? Say something, the police are on their way but make your Zoid stop!" Troy yelled over at him, voice impossibly tinny and quiet compared to the un-godly rumbling. Adamaris moaned but rolled onto all fours, gingerly ushering his battered body to sit up…..and then fall. Fall back onto cool sleek metal. He spat blood from between his teeth.

"My Zoid?" He echoed, curious. A triangular head bent way low to peer at him. Adamaris knew that head, with that toothy jaw and singular head blade. The optics shone a bright, luminescent blue, a shade so brilliant that Adamaris couldn't look away. The Zoid growled lightly.

_Your Zoid. Tragedy we had to meet under these conditions, but my name is Wolfgang and you are Adamaris Armani, my pilot. _The Maxis went quiet for a second. _Pleasure to meet you._

Adamaris burped out a bloody chuckle. "Likewise, Wolfgang." He chirped, patting the metal foot before letting himself slide into a much-needed sleep.

---

He dreamed of seeing that monster, well less of a monster now, and how it pretty much saved his life. He also dreamed of fingers soothing through his hair and he _loved_ that feeling, so when the fingers pulled away and the feeling stopped, he whimpered and arched his head for more.

An amused giggle by his ear. "Poor thing, Aries. Those assholes got jail time for what they did. And Wolfy scared them straight." The soothing resumed and Adamaris sighed, lost in the gentle petting. His belly still ached, a dull pain now. But his eye hissed with a flash of agony now and then, which really sucked. The voice, beautiful and quiet, obviously Jenna's, spoke once more.

"You got your nose broken, and some bad damage to your eye so you get to wear this cute little eyepatch! But the doctor said sleep is the best cure. And painkillers." A quiet rattling of pills in a bottle. Adamaris sighed again, his bed so comfy and the fingers so nice, he really did love sleep.

_Are you okay?_

Adamaris flinched a little, since having a Zoid voice in his head totally creeped him out. But really, Adamaris owed Wolfgang big time. He wished he knew how to answer. Maybe this thought thing worked both ways? Adamaris pictured himself asleep in his bed, dead to the world, in a state of eternal bliss.

Wolfgang let out a rumbly Zoid chuckle.

"Your Zoid is so sweet. Why didn't you tell us you got one?" Jenna asked, softly, nails scratching lightly at Adamaris' temple which just felt _the best_. His eye fluttered open, everything black until color slowly restored and sure enough, here he lay in a warm sea of blankets.

"Birthday gift." Adamaris replied, a yawn breaking out after his sentence. Jenna grinned wide and clasped her hands in her lap upon seeing him awake.

"Oh thank Eve, I thought I was talking to like, a dead body for the last four hours," Jenna laughed, all that stress melting away. "So how do you feel?" She asked, lifting a hand to place on his shoulder. "I sent Troy and Colby out to get some stuff, but I can call them if you need anything."

Adamaris shook his head. "No, I'm fine. What about the Camaro? Wolfgang said something about it." He spoke without thinking. Which, okay dumb, because Jenna gave him a look that could kill. Adamaris winced and ducked his head for mercy.

"Are you serious? You get your ass kicked and all you care about is that stupid car? You left the lights on, okay? That's it!" Jenna rolled her eyes and hopped off the bed, crossing the messing room to sit in his desk chair. "Seriously Aries, you need help. If you didn't look like such a wounded puppy I would hit you _so hard_."

Adamaris peered over at his clock. 3:30. Damn. "Sorry, sorry," He apologized, eye scanning over the room. He saw the watch box Jenna had given him. "Uhm, are my mom and dad home? Or Leon?"

Jenna crossed her legs, hair falling into her face. "No. They want to press charges or something. Your mom wanted to stay but your dad said you would be fine as long as I'm here. They left like, half an hour ago. I don't know where Leon went." She shrugged.

Moving caused some discomfort in his belly, and Adamaris frowned at the angry red mark a little above his belly button. "Do I want to look in the mirror?"

"No. Not for a few days at least," Jenna humored. "Get up, you injured thing, and I'll make something for us to eat because I am starving." She waited patiently while Adamaris stepped out of bed and threw on a baggy T-shirt (he took time to notice he wore sweatpants now, and wondered who had changed him.), padding after Jenna as they made their way to the luxurious kitchen space. Adamaris sat at the island while she made her way to the fridge, shuffling around water bottles and snack food.

"Where's Wolfgang?" He asked as Jenna pulled out a package of Liger-shaped chicken nuggets. She fixed him with a funny look.

"Dude, seriously? What are these," She shook the bag. Adamaris shrugged because chicken nuggets were _amazing_ and he couldn't yet give them up. Jenna scoffed. "But he's out in the Hanger. I've never seen a Geno Maxis before. How jealous did Leon get? Oh, I wish I could have seen his face!" She laughed and after putting the chicken nuggets on a tray, let them cook in the oven.

Adamaris traced his finger in some spilled water. His head ached, as if a bowling ball had been thrown right dead center at his skull. Everything sounded fuzzy and his right ear housed an uncomfortable ringing. Like he just aged overnight. Fast-forward 10 years, all thanks to some asswipe at a B-Rank club who couldn't bear to see his shirt get a stain.

It took a complete and total time of five seconds until Adamaris realized Jenna took a seat in front of him. She cupped her face in her hands and stared at him, brilliant eyes sorta hazy and off-color from the night's events. Or the morning. Whichever. "So. You gonna learn how to pilot?"

Most kids knew how to fully pilot a Zoid straight out of the womb. Adamaris barely knew how to climb up to the cockpit. "Yeah. I guess I am."

---

Colby hugged the air straight from his lungs while Troy promised murderous revenge on that jockstrap bitch. Adamaris laughed, he knew that Troy would keep his word on that. Troy piloted a very fierce, very scary fiend by the name of Jigsaw. Spinosnappers weren't the biggest Zoids but they still commanded a lot of respect. With plates of chicken nuggets and potato chips before them, Adamaris felt like a kid but _whatever._

"Dude, I can teach you how to pilot. Jig is a dino, Wolf is a dino, it'll be no sweat," Troy started, no less then eight chips shoved in his mouth. "Size difference, sure, but as long as you don't fall on me or something we'll be tight."

Colby picked at a piece of chicken. Adamaris nearly cleared his plate already; seriously he felt half _starved _or something. Jenna, not too far behind she housed an appetite the size of the city itself, swallowed a bite before speaking.

"You two have like, matching Zoids. Mad adorbs and all, but c'mon," She teased. Troy and Colby exchanged looks. Adamaris choked slightly on his potato chip, he laughed so hard. "My Lidier can _ruin _you two."

"Jenna, we've had this conversation like twelve times already, give it a rest." Colby replied, mock-frustration littering her words. Troy wordlessly agreed.

"Thanks, but dad is probably gonna teach me. Father son bonding and all." Adamaris voiced, pushing his empty plate into the sink, where it clattered haplessly loud.

_Loud._

Thanks I know, Wolfgang, Adamaris clearly flinched, having forgotten that yeah, a Zoid can talk in my mind now. How long before he got use to _that_? "Can I saw how much I'm not looking forward to that? Dad is damn near the best pilot in the city." A wave of depression sulked over Adamaris.

"Cut the crap, Mar. You'll be fine," Colby smiled and patted his hand. "But oh Eve won't it be awkward? Wonder what conversations are gonna happen….." Her grin changed to a devious smirk, and Adamaris, at age 21, blushed deep crimson and buried his face in his hands while his friends howled in laughter.

Just then, his mom and dad came through the door.

---

It's not like, he's 5 anymore. No, he's 21. Even so, Adamaris could be 38 years old and still reek of shame when getting punished by his parents. He hated being a disappointment, he really did, so he hung his head and sat there all by himself on the plushy sofa while Mastiff and Danelle glowered at him in disapproval.

He really wished that at least Jenna stayed. But nope, they got ushered out of the house the second Mastiff saw them. Nothing rude and he thanked them, but that look on his face….Adamaris stared at the floor.

"I don't know what to do with you, Addy," Danelle clucked her tongue, sitting down beside her son and gently inspecting the eyepatch over his eye. "I know you're an adult and everything, but you didn't need to sneak out like some criminal." She smiled faintly and Adamaris' stomach tied itself in a twist.

Mastiff growled. "Don't baby him, Dane! He needs to learn to grow up, act like a man!" He threw his hands in the air, fixing Adamaris with a glare so hostile, it burned like raging fire. "He and Leon both! But you, Adamaris," Mastiff bent down and Adamaris recoiled, averting his eye. "Need to stop acting like a little bitch."

And he stormed away. Danelle sighed, gave Adamaris a loving rub on his shoulder, and told him she would go speak to his father. Oh, and you're grounded.

---

_Grounded?_

"I can't go out for two weeks."

_Oh. Can we still talk?_

"We are right now, aren't we?"

Wolfgang tilted his head, looking surprisingly innocent _despite_ the metal cleaving knife attached to his skull, and the rows of deadly teeth. _Your parents love you very much and they were very worried. Perhaps this grounded thing is for the best?_

Adamaris, lounging between two of the Zoid's claws, pulled his earbuds out and reclined further, until his shirt rode up and the metal stung his skin. Communicating with Wolfgang hadn't been so hard. He couldn't do it telepathically but after three days into his punishment, he learned a lot about the Maxis. Like how on the night of the incident, Wolfgang hadn't wanted to "wait up" and after sensing the distress of his pilot, hurried to his rescue.

So for the past three days, Wolfgang became Adamaris' new best friend. Two whole weeks of no going out, no phone, and only a little T.V. Leonardo laughed at him for five hours straight, then left the house to go get drunk off his ass. At least Adamaris didn't need the eyepatch anymore.

"I've been thinking. I can't live with my parents my whole life." Adamaris started, twirling the music device in his hands. iPod, one seriously glorious device imported from Earth. Adamaris loved it.

_You are still young._

"No, in human years, I should have been on my own like, 5 five years ago." Adamaris scoffed. Bitterness laced his words like un-ripe fruit. But Zi, such a big place, Adamaris just didn't feel _ready_ yet. Last night certainly failed to help. Wolfgang growled something unintelligible, and shifted his head to the Hanger door.

_Company._

Mastiff walked in, crackled his knuckles, and nodded at his son. "Get up. I'm teaching you how to pilot today," He strode over to the latch, unlocked it, and let the shiny metal door slide open in all its glory. "Some basics first, and then we're doing a mock battle. Even got Leon to come out and help. He'll be down soon."

Adamaris opened his mouth to protest, didn't want to fight, not at all because well, Wolfgang bristled and snarled as Mastiff's Zoid loomed above them, waiting outside like the very destruction on the planet.

The Gojulas Giga bared teeth twice as long as Adamaris, flexed massive nails and lashed a tail the length of a city block.

Adamaris damn near fainted.

---

Everybody loves Giggles! Stayed tuned for for hilarity sometime. HitM and TFM will also be updated whenever. Woo. Read and review, plzkthxbai.


	2. Hit and Run, Hit again

Another long chappie. So if a fic is Rated M, it doesn't show up on the main page? Wow, low blow. Anywoo, this is just a bit of a filler fic with some weak battley-goodness in the middle. I'm sorry if Atlas comes off as a whiny brat.....well, I'm not sorry 'cause that's how he is. Right now, lol. But no fear, he matures greatly along the course of this beast!

Uhm....not much to say about this part, but its not as M-Rated as the previous one. At least we get more Zoid action!

Enjoy~

---

Mastiff glared over at his son with vicious intent, a look that clearly stated that there would be physical pain for someone if that certain _someone_ didn't get a damn move on. Adamaris scrambled to his feet so fast his head spun, and he stood there dazed and a little confused. Really, he did not want to fight Nuke, his father's prized _Gojulas Giga. _Wolfgang already stood pretty tall, but the Gojulas stood even _taller_. Tall as a skyscraper, tall enough to reach the sky itself.

"C'mon Adamaris, you gotta learn sometime," Mastiff grunted out, voice a bit on the bland side as he patted the steely black claw of his tyrannical monster. Nuke snarled, teeth bared in a fearsome grin. That wide, broad snout looked strong enough to simply pick Wolfgang up and crush him to bits. Spare parts. Heavy confetti. Metal glitter. "Because actually, you and Leon are registered to fight in the Dome two Saturdays from now."

Adamaris' blood ran cold. Just a sudden stop, zero temperature freeze. He stuttered several times, desperate to find his voice and argue this ridiculous proposition. He couldn't battle, no way! He watched those fights sometimes, watched in horror as Zoids of all shapes and sizes were thrown about like toys by Zoids that were even bigger and pointier.

_Dome? _Wolfgang questioned.

"Its this….big building where pilots and their Zoids fight for money." Adamaris finally said, his voice quiet and horrified. Some form of punishment? Adamaris hated battling and so did Wolfgang, apparently. The Maxis rose to half his height, optics flashing evil blue.

_You fight just for fun!? Sadist! _The Zoid leered down at them, and suddenly, Adamaris remembered how stupidly sharp Wolfgang's teeth were. _That's messed up._

"I totally agree with you. I don't battle at all," Adamaris rushed to explain, hoping to save himself from a total massacre. "I'm not a pilot. I'm _not._" He added, sternly this time, gaze directed to his motionless father. Mastiff sighed in response, suddenly looking weary and exhausted.

"Unless you shape up, I'm not letting you drive your car anymore," Mastiff finally spoke, voice loud and booming in the wide space of the Hanger. Adamaris felt a wave of anger and surprise rush over his body. His hands curled up into fists and above him, Wolfgang hummed with a barely-contained growl. "In fact, it isn't here anymore. Did you notice? I picked it up but hid it in a lot." Mastiff grinned a tiny grin.

It really shouldn't have angered him _that_ much, but Adamaris groaned in despair. "You didn't! Now the seat and the mirrors are gonna be all messed up!" He complained. The Camaro belonged to _him_ damnit, and that meant no one else could touch it. No. One.

Mastiff gave a hapless shrug, like this entire thing didn't trace back to being his fault. "Change your attitude, then. Leon is waiting in the practice arena so let's go," He strode over to the Gojulas Giga, who bowed his head and popped the cockpit. Mastiff climbed inside with a skill so practiced and smooth, Adamaris felt just a tiny jealous. "Get in your Zoid, then."

_I have a name._

"His name is Wolfgang!" Adamaris shouted. The Giga's canopy clamped shut and the beastly titan stared flatly at its soon-to-be-opponents, no answer emitting from it's pilot. Defeated, and seriously not wanting to do this, Adamaris turned to Wolfgang and looked way up high at him. "Well? Open up." He ordered quietly.

Wolfgang tilted his head. _My cockpit is in my chest._

"What? Why?" Adamaris asked, knowing full well that while headshots may be illegal, chestshots were not. Being in the dead center of a raging Zoid's body bordered suicidal.

_I don't know. But hurry up; don't want to keep your father waiting._ Wolfgang crouched low and a panel opened on his chest, revealing a comfy and decent-sized cockpit. Adamaris stared at it for a moment, because clearly he couldn't jump to it, so instead he started the long trek up Wolfgang's arm and across his body.

"See? You're learning!" Mastiff called over, his voice booming with pride at such a small accomplishment. Adamaris rolled his eyes but gradually completed the painstaking journey to his Zoid's cockpit. The panels closed and for a moment, the claustrophobia nearly made him panic.

_Are you okay?_

"Fine." Adamaris grumbled, still hating every second of this. Just then, his father's voice yelled into the comm-link about instructions and paying attention but Adamaris didn't yet know the comm-link had been on. So he screamed. Loudly.

Today sucked already.

---

Wolfgang clomped awkwardly down the street, as unused to having a pilot as Adamaris was to being in a Zoid. The four-minute run through given by his father failed to really teach Adamaris what he needed to know. As of such, walking down the street proved a lot harder then it looked.

Nuke easily graced the streets, calmly swerving around obstacles despite his sheer size and bulk. Meanwhile, Adamaris nearly leveled an apartment building, came within two feet of crushing a tiny dog, and just about tripped his Zoid three times at least. So many controls, so many levers and buttons and flashing lights, Adamaris found himself experiencing that weird form of dizziness. His eye still hurt, so that sucked, and he really wanted his car and just maybe he forgot that even though the comm-link had been shut off, Wolfgang still heard his insistent complaining.

_Adamaris! All you do is whine. If you don't want to be a pilot, why waste your time? _Wolfgang seethed, giving his tail an irritable flick that almost sent it crashing into an apartment complex. Adamaris slunk low in his seat, a blush of embarrassment bleeding his face scarlet. _If I have to listen to this all the time, then our companionship is over. _

Adamaris certainly didn't want that. "I don't want to be a pilot. But what else can I do? I want to make my dad proud." He gazed out at the city around him, all the busy people rushing about and the Zoids that tromped by with pilots eager to perform duties.

_What exactly do you hate about piloting?_

"It seems so…..stupid. Glorified fighting. Sure, there's fame and money and all that, but what a childish practice to frame our entire culture around. So many people see Zoids as tools for fighting, killing machines." Adamaris mini-ranted. He hated fighting, hated watching ignorant baboons tear each other apart for some spare Gallos. Claw each other to shreds for some recognition. Blast other living beings into bloody chunks for some medal.

_So what are you going to do?_

Honestly, Adamaris possessed not even the faintest idea of what to do. Move out and go where? With what money? The city passed him at a Gustav's pace, about the same speed in which his life moved. "I love painting. A-and coffee. What if I opened up like, a café or something?"

Wolfgang fell silent for a moment. _You father doesn't want that. _He stated flatly.

"Exactly. I know he wants me to be happy and all, but seriously, he's this great pilot and a war hero or something and his son doesn't want to follow in his footsteps? Its just, there has to be more to life then battling Zoids."

For a few minutes, Wolfgang didn't answer and the two continued in silence. In front of them, Nuke halted at a huge monolith of a building, wide and rounded at the top with ferocious Zoid statues standing guard outside. Adamaris looked up at it grief, imagining the torment he needed to go through.

Wolfgang stopped next to Nuke and sniffed in disdain at the building.

_You need to start living for yourself and not for others._

_._

---

"Okay, the buttons on the movement controls fire the missiles. The Maxis has two missile pods with twelve missiles each. The buttons behind those fire the beam guns, which are located under those same missile pods. Pressing the red button on your right extends the head blade and the lever about it depicts how much electrical energy you put into it. The left side controls the electrical output for the teeth and claws, and also the Grappling Claw system." Mastiff rambled off. When he paused a blissful pause, he started up again in a matter of two seconds and Adamaris felt the words rattle around in his head.

"The black levers operate the boosters in the legs and back. The button beside those is for the footlocks and particle converter. But you don't need to worry about those yet. Am I going too fast for you?" Nuke's giant head shifted into view, and Adamaris stared right back at those vicious optics for a second before bringing his attention to an ominous black button smack in the console's center.

"What does the black button do?"

"You don't need to know that yet." Mastiff barked back in a tone that clearly stated no arguing. This only succeeded in capturing Adamaris' interest further, and he looked at the black button, wondering what devious doings would happen if he pressed it.

_You clearly know nothing of my breed._

"Not really, no." Adamaris stated simply because he really _did not._ His knowledge of Zoids, pitiful and scarce, meant that his understanding of types and breeds lacked quite a bit.

"Are you listening to me?"

Adamaris jerked, shocked out of his stupor from his father's rough and growly voice. Nuke glared at the Maxis with antagonistic intent, his city-block-long tail curling about to face the saurian Zoid. Wolfgang snarled in response, digging thick gray claws into the arena's concrete floor. "Y-yeah, I'm listening." Adamaris stumbled, his hands wrapping around the levers. Mastiff sighed.

"Leonardo!" He called.

With Nuke's sheer bulk taking so much room, Adamaris failed to notice that Leon came in at all. But sure enough, Brutus lazily stepped out from behind the Giga, wide feet thumping against the solid floor. The Godkaiser came to a halt, teeth bared in a sloppy grin. Wolfgang flexed his claws.

_I have never seen a Zoid like that before._

"Godkaiser. Its an older Zoid."

_It looks very…..bulky._

Adamaris nodded in agreement. The Godkaiser, built incredibly short and squat, looked like the bully's fat kid sidekick. The Zoid stood at least twenty feet shorter then Wolfgang, so compared to the enormous beast beside it, it just looked ridiculous. Big deal, the Godkaiser had a few decent toys, such as pointy horn and some big guns. Wolf owned an even pointier horn and even better guns.

Then again, Leon outfitted his chubby critter with the Hyper Beam Gun and a Flamethrower. So it possessed a bit more firepower then Adamaris felt comfortable dealing with. He peered up at the Gojulas Giga, seriously _not _wanting to fight his brother.

"Oh come on, pussy! Don't be such a little shit," Leonardo spat, causing Adamaris to flinch inwardly at the harsh words. Wolfgang's entire metal body hummed with a ripping snarl, barely contained and just begging to let loose. "You got this amazing Zoid and you won't even use it?"

Before Adamaris could answer, Nuke stamped a heavy foot and instantly, silence fell over the arena like a cloak. "Be nice," Mastiff grumbled to Leonardo. He started to fuss, but Nuke snapped his jaws and stomped his foot yet again, causing both Wolfgang and Brutus to hobble up into the air for a second. "I'm serious." Mastiff ordered as his Zoid slowly trundled away. Adamaris watched him go, sort of registered what it meant, and promptly realized what chaos would start happening in a few seconds.

"No, w-wait, dad!" Adamaris stuttered, hoping to stall for maybe a few precious moments, but Mastiff's booming voice drowned out his pathetic pleas.

"Fight!"

One second, Adamaris had a full view of Nuke's backside. Next second, a terrible crashing sound erupted all around him and suddenly, the bright blue sky greeted him from above. Adamaris blinked in total shock, mouth gaping open as laughter assaulted him from all directions.

"Are you serious! Adamaris, dude, I'm just getting started!" Leonardo crowed, the Godkaiser's gun barrels still smoking hot. Wolfgang thrashed around, arms and legs flailing madly until he finally managed to haul himself up to his feet. Everywhere, things were blinking and flashing, all these loud red signs about warnings and what had gotten hit. None of it made sense.

"What's going on? What happened?" He demanded, pulling desperately at levers and controls, trying to fire something or retaliate or-

_He hit us! Start piloting, Adamaris!_ Wolfgang hissed loudly. Brutus stomped closer, roaring in power as his beam cannons started charging for another attack. Frantic, so unsure of what to do, Adamaris gazed helplessly at the buttons before finally pushing one that looked at least somewhat familiar.

Two slabs of armor on Wolfgang's shoulder popped up, baring two long and intense beam cannon barrels. In a matter of half a second, bright white energy gathered in the depths of the guns until they fired, two riveting beams rocketing forth to collided dead center with Brutus' chest. The Zoid keened and bumbled backwards, short arms churning and tail whipping back and forth.

"Fucker!" Leonardo hollered. Adamaris could picture the seething rage burning in his brother's eyes. Welling up with confidence, Adamaris pressed that same button again. And again. And again. The barrage of beams hit the Godkaiser one after another, until the smaller saurian crouched low to the ground with its claws clutched over a sparking and fizzing chest.

Wolfgang snorted in approval.

"Adamaris! Good shot!" Mastiff exclaimed in pride, and Adamaris exhaled as such because maybe he could get through this. Maybe. But they weren't out of the woods yet, and the Godkaiser readied itself once more. The glower of loathing on its metal face looked so out-of-this-world, Adamaris started to panic. Again. "Keep going, Adamaris! Give him all you got!"

Wolfgang backed up as the Godkaiser advanced, barrels lighting up once again. Adamaris hurriedly glanced at the control panel, remembered the one for boosters, and pushed. Instantly, Wolfgang shot up into the air, barely missing a rapid fire of bright yellow beams. The long, triangular thrusters on the Geno's back slid open, a geyser of white-hot flame propelling the Zoid up even further.

"Hey! Get back down here you prick!" Leonardo yelled as Brutus roared his disapproval. The Godkaiser opened his jaw wider, a cannon barrel extending as an orb of fire gathered at the very tip. Adamaris yanked the controls up and Wolfgang dodged, the fireball just about skimming the very tip of his tail. Eyes scanning the controls once more, Adamaris hit the _other_ button, the one that controlled the missiles. A flurry of activity rushed the screen before him, a dozen of green targeting locks whirling before his vision like snowflakes.

The locks settled on various parts of the Godkaiser, turned red once they found a good target and seriously, Adamaris had preference of where and how they hit, so fuck it all and he pressed the button again just as Brutus let loose with another terrifying volley, this time from the big and heavy Hyper Beam Gun unit on his back. The two slugs raced for the six missiles that fired and met with a fantastic and brightly lit boom.

Adamaris shielded his eyes, foolishly turning from the action and completely risking getting his shit blown apart. Yet no beams met with Wolfgang, no horrific melting of armor or century-long drop from the air caused by booster failure. Slowly, Adamaris peeked out from under his arm and saw Brutus crippled, his leg sparking angrily. The Godkaiser hissed, tried to move his lame limb, but to no avail.

"Seriously? Fuck this! Missiles aren't fair!" Leonardo yelled, jamming the controls around to try and get his Zoid moving. Brutus eventually crippled forward, sort of dragging his leg behind him. Adamaris sighed in relief as Mastiff cheered from the sidelines. Adamaris seriously wanted to tell his dad to quite trying to force this murder on them.

"Can we call this off now? Maybe?" Adamaris damn near pleaded. He didn't want to hurt Brutus anymore or cause further insanity to his brother.

"No! I'm gonna beat you right out of the sky!" Leon barked, and with Adamaris distracted, he opened fired with the Hyper Beam Gun once more, this time a tremendous four shots aimed right for the Geno's torso. Which housed the cockpit. Wolfgang cried out a second too late.

The impact rocked the entire Zoid, and Adamaris as well, right up through his bones and eyes and brain and organs. This awful shaking started, loud and rumbling and suddenly, Adamaris felt himself falling and falling until the hard concrete floor of the arena met harsh and painful with Wolfgang's back. The hit sent the boosters offline, hopelessly crushed by the Zoid's own weight.

Leonardo hollered in victory. "Now this is a level playing field!" He taunted, sending his beast in a lopsided hopping jump toward Wolfgang. Adamaris, getting pretty sick of constantly _being on his back,_ managed to twist and turn the controls just enough that Wolfgang rolled to his feet and spun around in time to get clobbered in the face from Brutus' heavy paw. The larger saurian stumbled backward, three long claw marks across his face.

"Think you can handle close combat?" Leonardo asked with a definite smirk. Adamaris didn't answer, only shoved the controls forward with the best way cry he could muster.

The two Zoids struck, tumbling together, mashing claws and teeth and tails and armor. Everything flashed by like a blur, to the point that Adamaris didn't know what he kept hitting, only kept hitting away. Lights flashed around him until Wolfgang spun around, smacking Brutus right in the face with his heavy tail. Pimp slap. Bitch slap. A fucking 5-star.

Brutus staggered back. Wolfgang jumped backwards and planted his feet tough on the ground.

_We can end this now._

Which, doing so happened to be the _only_ thing Adamaris wanted at this moment. "How?" He asked, clearly sick of battling_._ Leonardo's spiteful threats fell on deaf ears as the Maxis snickered.

_Press that button._

The black one. The one Mastiff said _not_ to touch. Adamaris stared at it for a moment, at this ominous black circle before deciding hey, what's the worse that can happen? He pressed it without another thought.

Two thick slabs of metal on Wolfgang's heel rotated downward, connecting solidly with the concrete. Brutus backed up in worry as the Genosaurer Maxis seemed to almost double in height, all the armor bristling high as a strange whirling overcame the beast. Wolfgang's jaw stretched wide, with a single black cannon emerging from his throat. The Zoid's talons dug into the ground as the white and black flaps on the tail opened on, the broken booster pack doing the same. Adamaris felt a weird electricity growing in the air.

On the screen before him, a charging sequence popped out. "Charged Particle Cannon?" Adamaris read. And then it hit him. Like a sack of bricks, like the sky falling on him, a big, black-worded _duh._ The CPC. The most dreaded, single most powerful weapon even created on Zi. Adamaris sat there, stupefied, wondering how the bloody fuck he let this one slide.

The bubble of wavering particles in Wolfgang's jaw grew brighter and bigger. "Dad!" Leonardo called out, his Godkaiser struggling to move out of the beam's path. Desperate, Adamaris looked about for some way to turn this thing off but really, all the information he learned flew from his head, gone. The beam grew stronger still, and the light burned into his eyes.

Terrified he would end up killing his brother, Adamaris didn't hear the stomping footsteps until they were literally, right there. Out of the corner of his eye, Adamaris saw the Giga's imposing bulk standing beside him. The rage emitting from his father could easily be felt all the way in Wolfgang's cockpit. Adamaris closed his eyes and went still.

"I told you not to press that button." Mastiff said, quietly, blankly, hiding all that rage.

Nuke shoved Wolfgang with all his might. Disrupted, the beam instantly switched off and the Maxis turned to face the Giga, growling loudly before the giant square jaws bent low, shark teeth bared so wickedly. Wolfgang screeched, toppled over onto his side as he ankles snapped off from the footlocks, body imploding from the Giga's huge form, until those set of teeth snapped shut on the Geno's head, and the entire Zoid flat-lined in a second.

Adamaris curled up in his seat, head buried in his hands, trying to forget Wolfgang's roars in his head seconds before he gave up.

---

"Wow, Mar. That's harsh. Like, OD harsh. Okay, its not cool to try and kill your brother but Wolfgang didn't have to be like, _destroyed,"_ Jenna ranted, throwing her arms in the air. He bracelets jangled and made a high, tinny noise. "Its your dad's fault, no offence. Seriously, why the living fuck did he get you a Genosaurer Maxis?" She took an angry slurp from her milkshake.

Mastiff, not wanting to deal with Adamaris, cut his punishment short and basically kicked him out of the house. Even gave him his Camaro back. The worse part, however, came from the fact that Mastiff acted so _calm_about it. Like using the CPC happened to be no big deal. But Adamaris knew better, knew something bad had started brewing. The chocolate milkshake he had already partly consumed sat heavy and cold in his belly.

After coming home, Adamaris high-tailed it right out of there, doing 60 in his car and rambling to Jenna on his cell phone. Urgent. Feel like ice cream? Good, because I'm picking you up. Less then half an hour later, Adamaris and Jenna sat in the Camaro outside their favorite ice cream shop. Adamaris loved chocolate, but the milkshake didn't cool his nerves quite like he wanted it too.

"I thought that if I won, maybe dad wouldn't be so harsh about me battling. I think all I did was make him hate me." Adamaris admitted. He hated the silent treatment. Jenna sighed and placed a milkshake-cold hand on his shoulder.

"You gotta face him sometime. And if you ever need help with battling, let me know. My Lidier is totally fast enough to avoid some particle beam," Jenna offered, rubbing Adamaris' shoulder a bit. "As corny as it sounds, sit down and talk with him. I mean, you really didn't want to kill Leon, right? Believe me, I understand the temptation and all." She smiled, and Adamaris smiled back, feeling a bit better.

---

After driving Jenna home and stopping by the drugstore to pick up some things, Adamaris parked the Camaro in the Hanger and cautiously walked up the stairs, an intense feeling of sickness and dread mixing with the milkshake in his stomach. The keys rattled impossibly noisy once he carefully opened the door and peeked inside. Not very ninja-like, since as its only 5:30 in the afternoon.

His mother sat at the computer, sipping coffee and eyes transfixed on the screen. She designed Zoid weaponry, having successfully created a good number of additional add-ons for Zoid pilots to add onto their beasts. Adamaris stood there awkwardly, a stranger in his own home.

"Hi, mom." He finally mustered up the courage to greet her instead of trying to sneak past. Danelle didn't answer right away, only kept typing. After a few moments of awkward silence, Adamaris started to walk away, up to the comfort of his room, where he could sulk in peace.

"Stay right there, Adamaris," Danelle said, her voice very dictator-like. Adamaris gulped, suddenly fearing for his safety. He half-turned to face her, bag and keys clenched in his hands. Danelle finally looked over at him, and her eyes were dull with disbelief and anger. The sight made Adamaris feel sick, as if he were 5-years-old again. "So, you tried to blast away your brother even after your father told you no?"

If this hadn't been such a serious issue, Adamaris would have burst out laughing. The statement just sounded _that_ silly. Instead, he stood there, the very start of his own rage starting to flare hot in his blood. He never wanted to battle, but everyone made him do it, and suddenly _he_ became the bad guy. "Maybe, if dad would just chill the fuck out and stop trying to turn me into a fucking _pilot_, this wouldn't have happened," Adamaris answered coldly. "And you know what? _You_ design Zoid weapons, so answer me why the Maxis has a particle cannon if I shouldn't _use it?"_ He finished, fully angered now, completely vicious, yelled out those last words to his mother, who sat there in a state of unexpected shock.

When Adamaris finished and realized the extent of his words, he ducked his head and rushed up to his room, mentally cursing himself for being such a total dick. He closed the door with a little more force then needed and simply stood there in his room, with its white walls and hangings of his own paintings. Adamaris tossed the bag and car keys onto his bed and laid down on the opposite side.

_Rough day for both of us._

Adamaris jumped in shock as Wolfgang's voice, weak but there, spoke in his mind. He wanted so badly to call out, but the Maxis' whereabouts were unknown. In a shop somewhere, or in the Hanger. Or a junkyard.

_Your father and brother are putting me back together. They don't seem very mad._

Adamaris let his head drop on the pillow. "Easy for you to say. They aren't mad at you." He grumbled, curling up with his knees almost touching his chest. Fetal position. Adamaris hated this, seriously wanted to move the fuck out and start his own life somewhere. Another continent, another city, with his own house and his own rules.

_Talk to them. _

Adamaris considered it, but for another reason. No apologises, no trying to suck up. For Eve's sake, Adamaris is sitting here at 21-years-old, still getting grounded by mom and dad. Its time to grow up, time to face the big bad world and all the monsters inhabited by it. Adamaris patted about his pockets, grabbed his phone and sent a quick text message to Jenna, asking her to meet him by the diner a few blocks away.

Adamaris knew that he couldn't do this by himself, for fuck's sake. And having the input from his close friend surely wouldn't cause any harm. As he stared out the window, debating his entire future and well-being, the door to his room burst open as if a bomb had gone off, and a startled Adamaris whipped around to face a demonic Leonardo seconds before a fist connected solidly with his face.

---

So he gets punched again! Poor guy. But hey, he pretty much killed Leon's Godkaiser, so he deserves it. Right, next chapter up soon enough. Feel free to comment and stuff, I love feedback and all that good stuff.

Well, next chappie might take longer to get up because I'm still in mourning. I'm gonna miss Hummers. ):


End file.
